Terry Michael Jarvis faces multiple felony charges

NAUGATUCK – A Mingo man that swam the frigid Tug Fork River in an effort to evade law enforcement attempting to serve arrest warrants for alleged criminal activity occurring back in Aug. 2015, now faces several felony charges.

Terry Michael Jarvis, 27 from Naugatuck, has been charged by TFC J. K. Harris and Sr. Tpr. S. A. Belt from the West Virginia State Police (WVSP) with three counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and three counts of grand larceny.

According to a criminal complaint, on Aug. 17, George Spangler, from Mountaineer Investigation and Security, reported that between July 23, 2015 and Aug. 17, 2015, an unknown suspect(s) entered two Alpha West Fork mining sites and stole approximately $8,800 in high-line cable (copper).

Investigation revealed that between Aug. 3 and Aug. 17, Jarvis sold approximately 1997 pounds of copper to H and P Recycling located in Logan County, W.Va.

On Sept. 14, 2015, an officer obtained a statement from Jarvis at which time Jarvis confessed to breaking into the previously mentioned mine sites on at least three occasions.

Jarvis further admitted to stealing copper from the mine sites and selling the copper to H and P Recycling.

Jarvis stated that he conspired with Matthew Farley to enter the mine sites to steal the copper and sell the stolen copper to H and P Recycling. The statement by Jarvis also stated that both he and Farley profited from the stolen copper.

A statement from a witness corroborated the accounts of Jarvis. The witness stated that she had observed Farley burning copper in his back yard on multiple occasions. Copper is often burned to remove any plastic or insulation from the copper wiring in order to increase the sale price.

Both Alpha West Fork mine sites are located in Mingo County.

By attempting to flee law enforcement during their attempt to serve the arrest warrants for previously mentioned criminal activity, Jarvis now faces two additional misdemeanor charges related to two counts of fleeing on foot.

A criminal complaint states that officers from the WVSP were attempting to serve Jarvis the arrest warrants for the crimes committed last summer on Monday Feb. 15. The report states that upon arriving at the Jarvis residence, the defendant ran out of the back of the home and proceeded to flee on foot from the officers.

The report further states that Jarvis proceeded to jump into the Tug Fork River and swam to Martin County, Kentucky. He was later apprehended by deputies from that county.

All information in this article was obtained by use of criminal complaints which are public record. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation and those named should be considered innocent until proven guilty.